Facsimile recorder



y 1, 1955 s. P. CLURMAN ETAL 2,743,989

FACSIMILEZ RECORDER Filed June 10, 1952 INVENTORS:

STANLEY F3 CLURMAN HUGH C. RESSLER BY 9 (5. (BM /LL A T TORN E Y United States Patent FACSIMILE RECORDER Stanley P. Clurman, New York, and Hugh C. Ressler, Bayside, N. Y., assignors to Faximile, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 10, 1952, Serial No. 292,758 6 Claims. (Cl. 346-74) The present invention relates to facsimile recorders and particularly concerns continuous recording devices.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a recorder having a novel electrode structure.

It is a further object to provide a recorder having a plurality of movable electrodes.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of an electrode holder employed in the apparatus of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an in the holder of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a blade employed in the apparatus of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic showing of a preferred arrangement or" the belt electrode carrier shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Fig. 2 showing different positions assumed by the electrode holders of Fig. 1.

The apparatus of Fig. 1 includes a plurality of electrode holders 10 mounted on a carrier in the form of an endless belt 11. The belt 11 is carried by pulleys 12, 13 supported on shafts 14, 15. Shaft 14 is connected to a motor 16 mounted on baseboard 17. Shaft is supported in a suitable journal 18 in base 17. Motor 16 is supplied with power through conductors 19 from a source not shown. Pulleys 12, 13 are provided with projecting pins 20 which engage in the apertures 21 of belt 22. Electrode holders 10 are equally spaced on belt 11. Each electrode holder has a body portion 23 as shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 2 and 3. The front of body portion 23 is relieved or under-cut leaving a raised portion 24 on which is mounted an electrode 25. In Fig. 4 is shown the electrode 25 provided with slightly elongated apertures 27, 28. Electrode 25 is in the form of a flexible blade and has a smaller blade-like car 29 extending outwardly therefrom so that the marking edge 30 at the free end of car 29 is offset from the blade 25 and is substantially parallel thereto. The linear marking edge or side 30 of car 29 is straight and squared. Electrode 25 is held on body portion 23 by the means of screw 31 passed through aperture 26. A pair of pins 32, 33 project from body portion 23 through apertures 27, 28 and serve to keep the electrode 25 vertically aligned on holder 19. The electrode 25 is free at its lower end and when flexed the pins 32, 33 permit unrestricted movement, perpendicular to the recording surface, of the lower portion of the electrode so that marking edge 30 moves only in a flat plane perpendicular to the electrode blade 25. A blade 34 is mounted at the top of body portion 23 by screw 35. Blade 34 has a depending portion 36 disposed in cut-out portion 37 at the rear of body portion 23. A corresponding blade 34',

electrode employed depending portion 36' and screw 35' are provided at the bottom of holder 10. As motor 16 drives belt 11, edges 30 of electrodes 25 are brought successively in contact with the stationary straight linear reference edge 38 of blade 39. Blade 39 as shown in Fig. 5 is a rigid bar having a plurality of mounting holes 40. The reference edge 38 is preferably knife-edged but the edge may be slightly flattened or may have a curvature of short radius. Blade 39 is mounted on a platform 41 supported by wall 42 at the rear of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1. Recording paper 43 is disposed between the edges 30, 38. Paper 43 may be of electrolytic type, a type having a conductive base, or a type having a conductive surface. Paper 43 is fed from roll 44 carried by roller 45. The roller 45 is supported by any suitable means not shown. Paper 43 is passed from roll 44 over an adjustable friction drag roller 46, across the edge 38 of blade 39, behind idler roller 47 and between rollers 48, 49. Rollers 46 and 47 are placed so as to insure that the recording medium is drawn in intimate contact with the full length of edge 38. Paper 43 is drawn taut over the edge 38 of blade 39 and is held firmly by the pressure roller 49 bearing down on drive roller 48 and by the friction drag roller 46. Roller 43 is driven by motor 50. Motor 50 is supplied with power through conductors 51 from a source not shown. Motors 16 and 50 are operated in coordination or in such fixed relation that paper 43 moves past the intersection of the edges, one line for each traversing movement by electrode 25 of edge 38. As an alternative to the use of two motors 16 and 50, a single motor may be used to drive belt 11 and the paper roller 48 through suitable gearing. As the edge 30 moves across edge 38, the holder 10 is held rigidly by means of channel member 52. Channel member 52 has a narrow groove 53 at its upper side and a groove 54 at its lower side. The depending portions 36, 36 of blades 34, 34' ride in grooves 53, 54 respectively, maintaining one holder 10 and a portion of blade 11 rigid during the recording operation. Channel member 52 is supported by screws 52 on mounting member 55 which is supported on base 17. A circular rotatable brush 56 is supported on shaft 57 and is driven by motor 58. Power is supplied to motor 58 through conductors 59 from a source not shown. The brush 56 is mounted so that as the electrode holders 10 are moved on belt 11, the linear edges 30 and blade portions 29 of each electrode 25 are wiped by the bristles 60 of the brush, as shown in Fig. l.

The belt 11 is mounted so that the electrodes 25 are moved in a straight line which is angularly disposed to the edge 38 of blade 39 as best shown in Fig. 6. At the left side of the edge 38, electrode edge 3;) is in contact therewith adjacent its lower end. Fig. 7 shows the edge 30 in this position beginning its contact with edge 38. Fig. 8 shows the edge 30 at the right side of edge 38 with the point of contact adjacent the top of edge 30. Firmness of contact of the edges is assured by the inherent flexibility of electrode 25 and the undercut front portion of body portion 23. in Fig. 3 the blade electrode 25 is shown before it is tensioned. In Figs. 2, 7, 8 the blade 25 is shown under tension with the space between blade 25 and body portion 23 narrowed since the blade 25 is flexed inwardly so that marking edge 30 is movable only in a plane perpendicular to the blade 25, linear edge 38 and belt 11. A conductor 61 is shown connected to support member 55 in Fig. 1. Signals to be recorded are supplied to conductor 61 from a suitable signal source and electrically conducted to the particular electrode 25 in contact with recording sheet 43 via belt 11. A conductor 62 is connected to blade 39 so that the recording current passes through recording sheet 43 to edge 38 and then through conductor 62 back to the signal source not shown. In this arrangement blade 39 is electrically conductive and serves as an electrode in conjunction with electrode 25 while recording sheet 43 is of a type which is marked by passing an electric current through the sheet at a point of contact of two electrodes in a manner known in the art. If desired the recording current can be caused to pass through a surface conducting type of recording sheet 43 to a conductor 63 arranged as a wiping contact on roller 47 as shown schematically in Fig. 1. In this arrangement roller 47 instead of blade 39 would be used as an electrode. Blade 39 could then be made of non-conductive material. Marking on sheet 43 would still take place at the point where electric current passes between the marking edge 30 of electrode blade portion 29 and recording sheet 43.

In order to insulate the holder 10, belt 11, and support 55 from the base 17 an insulating spacer 64 is provided beneath support 55 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and insulating bushings 65 and 66 are provided between pulleys 12, 13 and shafts 14, 15 respectively.

In operation the recording paper 43 is pulled from its roll 44 by the drive roller 4? and pressure roller 49 across edge 38. The path of the paper behind rollers 46, 47 constrains it to present a smooth marking surface at reference edge 38. The belt 11 is driven in coordination with paper 43 so that each marking edge 3t traverses the edge 38 to mark one line on paper 43. As the next electrode presents its marking edge at the beginning of reference edge 38 the paper moves on to present an unmarked line to the marking edge of the electrode. The marking edge 30 which has moved along sheet 43 is wiped by the brush 56. Brush 56 is arranged to rotate at a much faster rate than pulley 13 so that the blade portion 29 of electrode 25 is efficiently cleaned by the brush. Since the path of the marking edges 30 is not parallel to reference edge 38, substantially the full length of each marking edge is utilized for the marking purpose. This is an improvement over prior recorders which employ sharp pointed styli for marking purposes. These styli wear rapidly causing degradation of the quality of recording and necessitating replacement of the styli. In the present invention the relatively long electrode marking edges 30 which are fully utilized may be used for extended periods of time without replacement. A further advan tage of the present invention is that any point on the marking edge 3% which is in contact with reference edge 38 is located on the correct marking line of paper 43. In prior known recorders employing pointed moving styli it has not been found possible to maintain constant correct alignment with the same marking line of the paper during recording. The motor 16 will normally be operated in coordination with a facsimile scanner in a manner well known in the art, so that the locus of intersection of the marking edge 30 and reference edge 38 moves at a controlled rate. The apparatus disclosed is so constructed that if motor 16 rotates at a constant rate the locus of intersection of edges 30, 39 moves at a constant speed.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed this has been done by way of illustration rather than limitation. The invention is to be limited only by the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A recording mechanism comprising a fixed linear member, means for moving a recording medium across and in contact with said linear member, the motion of said medium being transverse to said linear member, a belt movable in a path at an angle to said linear member, a plurality of electrode holders disposed on said belt, each of said holders having a raised portion and a relieved portion, a flat flexible blade having one end secured to said raised portion and extending over the relieved portion, said blade having a straight marking edge at its free end offset from the plane of the blade and disposed to contact the linear member during movement of the belt.

2. A recording mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the means for moving the recording medium and the driving means for the said belt are operable in coordination with each other.

3. A recording mechanism comprising a fixed linear member, means for moving a recording medium across and in contact with the said linear member, a movable electrode carrier, an electrode holder disposed on said carrier, said electrode holder having a raised portion and a relieved portion, a flat blade electrode secured to said raised portion and having a marking edge offset from the plane of the blade, said carrier being operatively supported by driving means to move the electrode along the linear member in a path disposed at an angle to the linear member with said marking edge in contact therewith, and with the recording medium disposed therebetween, said electrode having sufiicient flexibility to allow movement of said marking edge toward and away from the relieved portion of the electrode holder only in flat planes perpendicular to the linear member during movement of the electrode along the linear member.

4. A recording mechanism according to claim 3, including means for periodically cleaning said marking edge.

5. A recording mechanism comprising a fixed linear member, a carrier driven along said linear member, an electrode holder having a raised portion and a relieved portion mounted on said carrier, 21 flat flexible blade electrode secured to said raised portion and having a marking edge disposed over the relieved portion, said marking edge being offset from the plane of the electrode and being disposed to contact the linear member.

6. A recording mechanism comprising an electrode holder having a raised portion and a relieved portion, and a fiat flexible blade electrode attached to said raised portion and extending freely over the relieved portion, said electrode having a blade-like element extending perpendicular to the plane of the electrode and having a marking edge disposed parallel to said plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,212,970 Finch Aug. 27, 1940 2,454,966 Faus Nov. 30, 1948 2,464,970 Finch Mar. 22, 1949 2,515,864 Finch et a1. July 18, 1950 2,524,564 Gorham Oct. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 289,857 Italy Sept. 1935 515,998 Germany Jan. 16, 1931 

